A group of Missouri campers says they lost nearly everything after a flash flood struck the Barecat Getaway campground in Lesterville, forcing them to spend hours stranded on a rooftop while waiting to be rescued. The campers claim the flooding happened with little warning, leaving them scrambling to escape rapidly rising water in the middle of the night.
The story was shared in a series of viral TikTok videos by @himmywells, where one of the Missouri campers documented the group’s terrifying ordeal and its aftermath. The videos have received hundreds of thousands of views, bringing widespread attention to their experience and prompting questions about the reported lack of warning and the emergency response.
According to the creator, the Missouri campers were awakened around midnight as floodwaters quickly began rising. They moved to higher ground, but the water continued climbing until those trapped had to stack chairs into a makeshift ladder to reach the roof of a nearby building.
The creator alleged that the Missouri campers repeatedly asked someone to call 911 but claimed emergency services were not contacted until several hours later. They also said the group remained on the rooftop for about nine hours with little food, no drinking water, and no shade before rescuers arrived around 4 p.m.
The Missouri campers said they refused to leave behind their two dogs despite concerns the animals might not be rescued with them. They also alleged they received no warning before the flooding began and criticized what they described as a delayed emergency response. According to the creator, neighboring campers living in a converted bus also received no warning and lost both their home and their pets in the flood. Those allegations have not been independently verified.
In a later update, the creator said their boyfriend’s truck and electric scooter had been recovered from the floodwaters. The Missouri campers hope both can be repaired, although they noted the truck was not covered by full insurance. Despite recovering some belongings, they said the experience has left them traumatized and unwilling to camp again.
Missouri Flood Ordeal Sparks Concern
The video’s comment section was filled with relief and concern, with many viewers expressing gratitude that the Missouri campers had survived. Others encouraged the creator to continue posting updates so followers would know everyone was safe.
Many commenters also questioned whether weather alerts or emergency warnings had been issued before the flooding, saying they were surprised the Missouri campers appeared to have so little time to react. Others wondered how they managed to survive after being stranded for hours. “I’m so glad that you are okay,” one user wrote.
Several viewers offered words of encouragement and expressed sympathy for the emotional toll of the disaster, hoping the Missouri campers could recover after losing so many belongings. Some local residents also shared messages of support, saying they lived near the area and were relieved to learn the group had been rescued.
The creator later responded that everyone was physically safe but said the ordeal had left lasting emotional scars. They explained that they now fear both water and thunderstorms and expect the recovery process to take time. Sometimes surviving the flood is only the first chapter. Learning to feel safe again can take much longer.
